S. Korea to expand terrestrial heat use in greenhouses

SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Yonhap) -- South Korea plans to spend 857.0 billion won (US$739.5
million) by 2012 to expand terrestrial heat use in greenhouses to cut back on
energy imports and reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the government said Tuesday.
The Rural Development Administration (RDA) said in a report submitted to the
Presidential Committee on Green Growth that the measure will increase the area of
eco-friendly greenhouses from just 91 hectares last year to 857ha in the target
year.
This will help the country save 150,000 kiloliters of fuel imports and reduce
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 400,000 tons annually.
For 2010, the government said it will allocate around 200 billion won to help
farmers build 250ha of geothermally heated greenhouses.
South Korea, with almost no energy resources of its own, relies entirely on
imported crude oil, natural gas and coal. The burning of such fossil fuels,
however, generates greenhouse gases that are cited for global warming.
Seoul pledged last year that by 2020, it will make a 30 percent cut in its
greenhouse gas emissions from the business as usual (BAU) level of 2005.
The administration under the farm ministry has developed an indigenous
terrestrial heat system that can be used year-round. The system calls for burying
special heat pipes up 5 meters into the ground, which absorbs heat to be used by
greenhouses to grow crops.
"The plan eventually calls for up to 46 percent of all greenhouses in the country
to use heat created from the ground by 2020," said RDA Deputy Administrator Kang
Sang-jo. This translates into 6,300ha, with farmers expected to save up to 70
percent in energy costs.
He said while the central government will foot 60 percent of all costs, local
administrators are required to bear 20 percent of the costs, with the rest to be
generated by individual farmers.
At present, leading countries such as the United States, Germany, Sweden,
Switzerland and China use terrestrial heat for farm production.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
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